It Will Rain
by Lady Nuit
Summary: "Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you, but do so with all your heart" Fate is funny; it intervenes at the worst moment. Tess Hardy moves to Forks to live her brother who studies Quileute Folklore, and learns that stories can be very real. Worst of all, she realizes that love has a dark side; one with obsession & worse: rejection.
1. Moving to Forks

**Author's Note:** While I am not well versed in the Twilight Saga, I find myself thinking that I would appreciate it all the more if the characters had more depth than a mere obsession with Bella and her drama. While Twilight cannot truly happen without her, I think that we overlook other character growth and other stories that need to be told. I own no one but Thomas and Tess. I know that this had been beaten to death, but I want to make my own spin on this and really make this grow. The pairings will be Leah/OC and Jacob/OC simply because I think they got the short end of the stick. Especially Leah. I'm not yet sure how much of Bella, Edward and others I will be incorporating into this story since I want to concentrate more on the Quileute Tribe and Thomas and Tess. Please don't forget to review and tell me any suggestions you might have.

 **Chapter One:** Moving to Forks

 _"The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection" - George Orwell_

As the trees blurred together and the gloomy skies began to darken even further, Tess could not see herself living in a place like this. "The City of Forks Welcomes You", she rolled her eyes at the sign. This was not the place she wanted to move to, but she had little choice. At fifteen, her seemingly perfect life changed as a crack began to form in the family. The seemingly doting and happy parents began embittered as business began to get shaky. Her father began traveling more, and soon enough it began to feel as if Tess was being raised in a single parent's home. Her mother never said anything, but the looks and lies that grew more and more complicated said it for her. Tess wasn't stupid; she knew that things were beginning to crumble.

Her brothers weren't any help; Julian had moved to London from the scholarship he was lucky to receive. He went off to study international business and soon made his family there and never returned. At thirty, he had nothing to return to. Next was Thomas; he had moved at eighteen to go to college as well; he chose History as his major surprising his parents, and he merely moved to study Native American history up north in Washington. At twenty-three he found himself a home, amidst the rainy city of Forks. Both boys had become men and made something out of themselves. All that was left was Tess, to make something out of herself and be able to leave the nest as well.

She didn't have to wait as long as she thought. Their parent's acting days were over when they began to fight; their screams weren't muffled any longer and Tess had had no choice but to sit there and wait for it to be over. Huddled in her room, the only companion was her little dog who licked her cheeks hoping to distract her. After that they told her another lie; they wanted to work on their marriage so they thought it'd be good for her to live with one of her brothers until everything was solved. She saw it as them wanting to get rid of her, but she didn't blame them. She hoped that this way they could simply just divorce and end it. She was keeping them together and she hated it.

Julian immediately said that the move from California to London would be too much for his sister and that she wouldn't like it. She knew that was an excuse; he was always the one that was hungry for success and he didn't need another mouth to feed. Thomas was blunt about it; he didn't have a lot to offer but a small house and she could move in if she wanted. He understood if better and knew she wanted to get away. And while it wasn't London, it was a place to get away from the farce that was her life in Los Angeles. 

So there she was, leaning her head against the window, her eyes shut as she felt the cool glass against her cheek. This wasn't where she wanted to be but it was her only place now. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss her home. Despite the fighting and worse, the acting, she had friends that would help her out at least emotionally. She feared the idea of being someplace new. She wished she was more outgoing like her brothers, but it wasn't her way.

"-you know? You'll get used to the weather I promise" Was the only part of Thomas' speech that she caught.  
"Opening her eyes lazily, her chestnut colored eyes trailed towards her brother who was driving. She noticed that his fingers tapped the wheel nervously. She knew that as much as he loved her, he was stuck taking care of a teenager.

"Hey Tom…have you inscribed me in school yet?" she asked curiously.

"Not yet! Just as soon as I research how to I'll do it"

Tess knew this was her chance and smiled. "It's fine…if it's all the same to you, I'd prefer getting my GED instead of going to high school."

"Can I ask mom first?"

She snorted and nodded. Turning her head let to see outside her window, she saw that the city had it's charm she supposed; if she could call it a city. Despite the cloudiness, the trees were beautiful, not something she was used to seeing. Surrounded by forests seemed so different and somewhat refreshing: A new start.

"What made you move here Tom?" she asked curiously as they finally began to move her things into the house. Her corgi-chihuahua mix ran around the "yard" taking everything new for her. Tess shook her head and patted Thomas' pitbull terrier mix before walking into the house.

"Thomas put the last box down and signaled her to follow him. Huffing she followed him, rubbing her back tiredly. He signaled the portraits and began to explain as best he could.

"You know how history is usually written by the victors? You know, those that win the fights? Take the territories? Well I want to study the other side, the parts seemed uninteresting. For me, the Quileute stories and folklore were what interested me. Imagine the idea of using animals, the only means of protection to protect their lands and then slowly become one? It's fascinating what you read in books. I've been trying to learn more through talking to them but…"

"But?" Tess' eyes brightened with curiosity.

"They're so private" Thomas shrugged. "I don't blame them, so I find myself doing research on my own. From folklore to journals, anything I can. I've slowly talked into maybe getting to talk to the members, so long as I'm respectful and have the right questions."

She made a noise of agreement as her brother began to ramble. Looking at her brother, she could see that this was definitely a passion for him and she couldn't help but smile. Who knew that the big dork that was her best friend for the longest time would grow up to be a bigger taller dork that was excited about history. As he talked his green eyes brightened and his hand moved making his words all the more expressed. His brown wavy hair was already getting out of his usual slicked back professional look, and his boring dad sweater made him scream "I'm trying to be a grown up here". She loved him dearly and she wasn't one to judge. She too loved history and following his footsteps wouldn't be too bad.

"Isn't it great?!" he finished.

"Hmm…you're a big dork" she said laughing.

"He rolled his eyes and shoved her lightly only making her laugh harder. She missed laughing that was for sure, and he knew it'd been a while since she'd been so relaxed.

"What do you think about the house?" he asked curiously.

""It's…a house?" she replied shrugging. "I'm glad I have a room and no one fighting below it"

"She trailed off and he merely pulled her into a hug letting her know that he got it. He had been lucky to leave before the whole thing exploded around them.  
""I'm sorry" he murmured.

She ignored his apology, instead she simply held him tight. In this moment she felt like talking would spoil everything. She was good at that. Closing her eyes she smiled softly as he rocked her. He wasn't the most responsible sibling, but he loved her, and that in itself was enough. He murmured something about going to show her the room he'd been fixing up and she followed him. As they reached the top of the stairs, he turned left and opened the simply white door. As she took everything in she smiled softly as her eyes fell on the painting of the ocean on the wall. The sand looked so real and she moved forward, her hand placed over the sand and moved up to trace the waves that encompassed Los Angeles so well. She knew he'd had someone paint it so her bed could face it.

"I know you miss the beach the most. And well we have them here just...a bit chillier?" Tess shook her head at her brother's comment. "But you can lay in bed and just look at it if you want. Or you can take a view of the forest."

"Turning to look at him she smiled softly. This big dork got her.

""You're a good brother"

"He had the decency to blush and threw her plushy to make it a lighter atmosphere. Her dog walked in and made herself at home at the new bed making Tess think that this wasn't so bad.

"I'm gonna get started in dinner" he said as he walked out.

"Dinner? You cook?" she asked

"I can put a frozen lasagna in the oven?" Thomas said sheepishly.

"Tess rolled her eyes and smirked.

As she heard him doing downstairs, she climbed onto her bed and sighed. It was different here; calmer. The mist was most welcoming she supposed, but she couldn't help but think that nothing can ever go smoothly. Rolling off her bed, she opened the window and popped her head out. Taking a deep breath she hummed softly. She was by no means that most nature loving person, but no one could deny this was a spectacular view. And how many people in LA could say that their backyard lead to the woods? Placing her elbows on the window frame she rested her head on her arm taking in the area./p

 _'I could get used to this'_ She thought smiling

"That is until she heard a howl. She shivered despite herself. That was enough nature for one day she supposed. Closing the window immediately she decided that maybe she needed to figure out just what was lurking in the woods. Thomas would know. Running downstairs, she had no clue that that was no mere wolf, but a folklore becoming reality


	2. Heartbreak

_"There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed" – Napoleon Bonaparte_

 ** _Chapter 2: Heartbreak_**

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Tess had moved into Forks and everything had become uneventful. Every morning was a cloudy morning; every evening the rain would fall, and every night, the howls would echo. Thomas took everything in stride, finding beauty and reason behind everything that happened around them. Tess on the other hand took all of her brother's comments and told him to shove him in a place that he wasn't going to repeat. The beauty of their surroundings didn't ever seem to get boring, but the weather was getting to her.

For one thing, her skin was slowly losing its tan. Those days of pure sunlight during the summers of Los Angeles were slowly disappearing. Her long brown hair that she prided herself in keeping straight was beginning to get more and move waves. It was even challenging to use a straightener, for the moment that she opened a window her hair began to grow. She finally just lost the war and let it fall where it wanted. Next she had to go to an optometrist, who said she needed glasses. She had gotten a pair of black-rimmed, 60s style glasses that framed her face. She liked them, but the humidity tended to make them foggy. The things she took for granted, like how it never rained in southern California, were things she missed. Even when she was driving around the roads, she missed yelling at people for being idiots.

Her brother was honest with what was wrong with her: she had no friends. It was a horrifyingly true comment. She hadn't gotten her way, at least not completely. Her mother had insisted that she go to high school and to try it out. Tess had argued that since it was different, too different that she might fall behind. She pushed back with the idea that it'd be easier to get her GED and start working. At the end of the argument, Tess had allowed them to get her in school, but soon as she finished one semester she had the option of continuing school or just getting her GED. High school was not easy; in fact coming from California only brought her popularity for a week. She didn't really care if she was honest about that. It seemed that there wasn't a place where she felt like she belonged. She sat alone for lunch taking round table for herself by throwing her backpack and taking out her things. Her laptop was a means of escape during these times. Connecting with her friends as they caught her up on how life was back home.

 _Home._ God she missed it. There was a brief moment where she had thought that maybe she had made a friend in Calculus, that is, it was until she realized they were using her to copy work. After that she shut herself off. She even ignored the rumors being spread about her.

 _"Did you know she's mute?"_

 _"She's not really from Los Angeles, she's just trying to be cool"_

 _"She's with senior classes, can you believe it? She totally cheated her way there"_

She rolled her eyes as she heard another murmur as she passed by the lockers. She counted down till the days she could get out of there. There was no one in this whole place that she felt was fitting for her. She'd talked to the welcome committee at first: Jessica…something. And she had summarized the school; the nerds, geeks, best people, and most importantly the Cullens. Apparently they weren't related and they were all too fabulously attractive, attractive enough to shun the world around them only for their popularity to increase. It was really disgusting how they kept to themselves yet people fawned over them. Apparently only one had allowed someone in: Edward Cullen. The new girl…well formerly new girl Bella had become his girlfriend and now they were extremely popular. Gross.

Slamming the door of her locker she was relieved to see that the day was over. Whoever said that high school was their best time were dicks. That was the only thing she could think of as she walked towards the parking lot. Opening the small Camry that her father had sent her money for, she threw her things in the back and was ready to leave.

She needed something in her life, something that allowed her to simply be able to feel like herself. Maybe a job; her eyes brightened at the thought. Driving down the big road, she decided to head into what could be considered 'downtown' this tiny shopping area. As she found parking she walked around seeing if there were any openings. Sure enough a restaurant was hiring. Smiling sure of herself she pushed the door open and walked towards the counter. There was a really beautiful woman serving food to an old couple. There was no indication of outward friendliness, but her eyes shined as she saw the couple before her be happy. Her skin was a beautiful rich color, her hair black and short, and her eyes soulful beyond belief.

Tess cleared her throat hoping to get her attention and sure enough the older girl walked over.

"What will you have?" she asked nonchalantly.

"A job?" Tess replied wittily.

The girl smirked at her reaction and put her notepad down. The girl studied Tess with a curious expression and shrugged.

"What makes you think you can work here? Any experience?"

Tess nodded. The girl wasn't going to be easy, but she figured she could do something to win her over. While this would have been her first job, it didn't mean she couldn't…fib a bit.

"Yes, I used to work at this…Mom and Pop place in LA" she began, "I can cook really well. And I have some experience in serving. Please? I figured you'd need a hand here."

"LA huh" the girl looked at her and huffed. "Fine kid, my boss let me hire whoever I wanted so fine, we'll do this at a trial basis got it?"

Tess grinned brightly and clapped her hands. The girl was a hard ass but Tess wasn't phased by it. She missed the harder edges that came with living in bigger cities, and this girl had it.

"I'm Tess by the way. When do I start?" she asked.

"I'm Leah, you can start today, now if you want"

"I'm game"

Leah gave her a real smile and Tess returned it.

"Here's your uniform, you can go change and get stuff arranged before you come back out okay?"

She nodded and ran off to call Thomas.

"Hey Tom?"

 _"What's up Tee? Where are you? Do you-"_

"I got a job" she blurted out before letting him take over the conversation.

The silence between them made her a bit nervous. But soon enough he spoke again.

" _Where?"_

"This restaurant called The Lodge?" she repeated looking at the lovingly tacky decor."

 _"I don't know Tee…mom would be mad."_

"I made a friend here," she interrupted.

 _"…You did?"_

This where Tess knew she had won something. This meant that she could sweeten her brother into supporting her decision.

"I did, in fact, since she works here I won't be so lonely"

 _"Okay…fine. You win. Be safe and text me before you head home"_

"Love you bye!"

Ending the call she immediately changed into the uniform and tied her hair up in a high ponytail. Her glasses firmly placed she walked out to help Leah. For the most part the restaurant was surprisingly busy for being such a small town. Leah had explained that there was a fishing event earlier and people tended to come over. Tess was just excited to feel busy. Rushing back and forth from the kitchen to the tables gave her a rush that she missed. She felt useful. And Leah seemed to find her help as necessary.

Around midnight was when the restaurant was finally closing. Fridays were always crazy was the only excuse she could come up with. As she was asked to come back tomorrow...Tess drove home with the urge to run and tell her brother what happened.

 **…..**

It was two months into working that she noticed something was off with Leah. While the girl wasn't the friendliest person in the world, but there was a warmth there that Tess couldn't help but notice. She chastised her for messing up orders, but always told her how to be better. There was always a response when it came to Leah's comments. For the most part, they worked in a comfortable silence and Tess found herself a friend.

The older girl was a spitfire, clear from the day she met her brother. Tess grinned at the thought.

 _Flashback_

 _Thomas tried to keep himself from prying too much into his sister's life. So long as she was happy, he was happy too. That is, until he realized her cooking was now reserved for The Lodge. That's how he found himself pushing the doors of the quirky restaurant and finding a table. He'd brought an old manuscript that he was currently using for his research and waited to be served. He was writing notes when he felt someone looking at him. Lifting his head he noticed the waitress was approaching him._

 _She was beautiful; that was the first thought that came through his mind as he saw her. Her eyes were so soulful and beautiful and her skin perfect and smooth. She was tall too, but he taller, and she had a grace that looked like it was out of a magazine. He felt himself flush realizing he was staring._

 _"Hey, do you know what you want?" she asked._

 _"W-what's the most popular item?" he asked curiously hoping to keep her talking for a bit more._

 _"It depends on the person, should I come back?"_

 _"No!" he cleared his throat, "I mean…what is your favorite thing here?"_

 _"The steak and potatoes" he heard her reply with a curious expression.  
"I'll have that then" he said and closed the menu._

 _It was then he realized her eyes weren't necessarily on him but on the manuscript he had. She looked surprised but a hint of a smile on her face._

 _"Into Quileute history?" she asked._

 _"Yeah…I actually study it! I think it's fascinating and that's the whole reason I came here to begin with" he said chuckling._

 _She gave him a genuine smile that he found himself returning._

 _"You're Quileute am I right?"_

 _She made a noise of agreement and he found himself doing something that he would greatly regret later._

 _"Hey…after your shift, would you like to go to get dinner with me? Or coffee?" he asked nervously._

 _The corners of he eyes crinkled and he swore she almost blushed before laughing softly. The laugh sagged his ego greatly, but the way she looked doing it was well worth it._

 _"Sorry, I got a boyfriend, but I'll bring you your steak in a bit"_

 _End Flashback_

Ever since that incident, Thomas had avoided all appearances in the restaurant, much to Tess' dismay. It was funny to see how he had obviously gotten enamored with Leah. She teased him mercilessly about it, and he simply tuned her out. She knew he had no chance with her. Leah was madly in love with Sam Uley and the feeling was mutual from what Tess could see. He was always so calm to Leah's headstrong personality and the way they talked made her wish she had that one-day. That is until she remembered that all things end; definitely not something she wants.

The perfection that was Leah and Sam seemed to be breaking. At least that what it seemed, when Leah walked into work this morning with tears in her eyes. Tess knew better than to say anything; Leah was the type of person to want to avoid the world. So Tess pushed herself to be more involved; she chatted more, took more tables, yet always put the tips in the jar to split for later. Leah just stayed behind the counter, not bothering to interact. That's when Tess got worried. As the dinner rush died down, the girls found themselves alone.

For Leah, this day was the slowest day of her life. They were to suppose to be on a break. A break, he said he needed space and she agreed because they were meant to be. But…but… She huffed. Slamming the closed sign on the restaurant she decided that Joe would understand if she just closed the restaurant early. She felt awful for being useless today, but she was selfish enough to allow herself to do so. Tess never said a damn thing. In fact, the girl was sitting at a counter staring at the rainfall. Leah didn't know whether to talk to her or not but…who else did she have?

"Sam and I are over" she blurted out as she sat across from the teenager.

She flinched at her own words realizing that saying it out loud meant that it was real. She blinked back the tears and forced herself to keep composure. As she tried to control herself Tess looked surprised. She said nothing instead got up and got the vodka bottle and slid it towards Leah. This is what she'd seen her brother do to his friends, so why to do this to Leah?

"What happened?" she asked tentatively unsure if Leah even wanted to respond.

"He…he first said he needed time" Leah began, blinking back tears, "and I got it, I mean he'd disappeared for a few weeks and I was so worried. He came back different, and I couldn't pinpoint it. But I let him because I _love_ him."

Tess didn't say a thing, only felt genuine pain for the girl. Leah was the definition of strength in her eyes, and to say this well…it was heartbreaking. She frowned and let her continue.

"Then Emily came to visit…she called me telling me that he's chasing after her and I…it's not _fair"_ her voice trembled and she slammed her hands on the booth to gain control. "I waited for him to fix himself, to come back and just fix whatever was wrong."

She flinched as Leah was violent even in her most vulnerable moments. Leaning forward she placed her hand over Leah's left and squeezed tightly.

"What are you going to do?" she asked softly.

"I-I don't know" she said in the softest tone that Tess had never heard from her.

She saw Leah began to pour the vodka in their soft drinks and she said nothing. It wouldn't be her first time, but it would sure be a time she was drinking for sadness. Slowly they drank both having their fill, the restaurant eerily quiet. Suddenly Leah began to ask something Tess was dreading.

"Do you think there's such a thing as fate? Like you're meant to just be with them?"

Tess put her drink down and winced as the warmth went down her throat and thought about it. Was she going to be perfectly honest?

"Why do you ask?"

It was Leah's turn to simply look down at her cup. Those words still haunted her, and she could not deal with accepting them. But as she looked up and saw how honest Tess looked, she couldn't help but talk.

"H-he said that Emily was his soulmate," she croaked out before finishing her drink and pouring another one.

Tess winced at the wording. Love was not something that she was particularly good at talking about. She'd never really fallen in love, at least not in a way that she thought of 'forever'. No, instead she thought about how nice it was to have someone beside them. The image of her parents made her frown and she found herself just talking.

"I call bullshit" she said bluntly, "Fate means nothing but something that someone wants to believe in. Love doesn't last forever…even the happiest bit that you see ends in tragedy. You never see a love lasting forever, and those that believe in soul mates…you don't need to legitimize it that way. Sam is a dick and you and you need to be strong. God Leah, do you even notice how he's breaking you. You! You're the one that told me to not give a crap what people think. No one has a right to make you feel inferior." Her eyes began to water, "I've seen the greatest of loves just die, and you know what? It's not like it was preventable. Life goes on. If Emily is his soulmate, and she lets it happen, she's not worth your time either"

Leah said nothing, instead she leaned back against the counter and sighed. Even one drink wasn't enough to numb the pain. Looking over she saw that the younger girl was drinking heavily. _'Probably fighting her own demons'_ she thought shaking her head.

"You're drunk" she said somewhat amused.

"Oh yeah definitely" she said laughing through her tears.

"Send a text to your brother, I'll drive you to the Rez so you can rest there. We don't have work tomorrow."

She did as she was told as Leah began to split the tips, giving most of them to Tess after the cover. Wobbling over to Leah's truck she merely climbed in as Leah locked the restaurant down. Laying her head on the window she stared at the fogginess of the night.

 _1:00 AM_

It was on the dash as Leah got in and began to drive. It seemed the alcohol didn't hit her as hard as it had Tess and she merely leaned against Leah and sighed.

"What were your demons on love?" Leah asked. It was only fair to ask after everything she had admitted.

"Parents" she breathed out, "my parents sent me here, trying to patch up what's already broken. They were perfect Leah; my mom was the head of the PTA, my dad was doting and no matter what tried to make it to every dinnertime. But then the perfect image just started to break and the saddest part was that I was the last to find out. Julian ran off as soon as he could and didn't ever want to come back; Thomas came on an adventure to simply learn about the history of your people. And I was left alone to figure out what the hell was happening." She took a deep breath, "I saw my mom cry some nights as my father took more and more trips abroad. When he arrived he locked himself in his study. He slept there, and my mom was alone in her perfect world. She hated the thought of me seeing that and now I'm here."

"How long will you be here for?" Leah asked softly, her eyes still straight on the road.

"They said two weeks…it's been over a month" she laughed bitterly, "I'm never going back.. and I'm okay with that"

"We're a mess."

"Hm…true. Leah I don't feel so well"

Pulling over, she merely opened the door and let Tess throw up as needed. She patted her back feeling some sympathy for the kid. Handing her a napkin Leah only heard a murmur of a thank you before the door was closed and Tess curled up and slept. Finally reaching her home, she parked as best she could before leading a sleepy Tess in the house. Thankfully no one heard them come in and both were quiet as they entered. Throwing the girl on the other half of the bed, Leah threw herself on the other side and both passed out.

 **….**

The morning after was the closest thing that she had experienced to torture. The first thing she realized was that her head was hurting, the second was that she was thirsty, and the third being that she wanted to die slowly. Groaning softly she opened her eyes slowly and closed them immediately. Nope, too hard. Stretching her hand across the bed she wondered if Leah was around. She wasn't; instead a piece of paper was there. Grabbing it she squinted and began to read.

 _Hey, went to town to get some aspirin for us._

 _Take a shower and I'll see you in a bit._

 _-Leah_

 _P.S. – No I don't know where your glasses are._

 _P.S.S. – Change your clothes!_

 _P.S.S.S- You owe me for throwing up._

Groaning, Tess got up, ignoring the swimming feeling as best she could. Running her fingers through her hair she winced as her head was pounding. Right. Turning over to check the time she noticed her phone was dead. Great. She needed to get home before her brother lost his mind. First things first: a shower. Rolling off the bed, her legs nearly gave out as she lost balance. Managing to catch herself, she slinked towards the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Throwing her clothes off she noticed just how awful she looked. She looked so tired, her eyes bleary and her hair…god it was awful.

Slipping into the shower she couldn't help but sigh as the hot water made everything better. She felt more human as she got out and tied a towel around herself. Next came the most complicated task: finding clothes that fit her. Leah was tall and skinny; Tess was shorter and not as skinny as she wished she could be. As she began to go through the drawers she huffed as she picked up a shirt that could barely cover half of her.

"Great for my self esteem" she muttered as she kept looking.

The only thing she could find that fit her were a pair of elastic waist shorts, and a pullover that was probably meant to be worn loose, but to her, it barely had enough space for her chest. Sighing in relief she now needed to find those glasses. As she looked around the room for them, she wondered if they got lost somewhere and most importantly if that was a bad thing. She wasn't particularly fond of them but…she groaned as she realized she did need them and it did matter. Not only for class but Thomas would be mad if she lost them.

"Maybe they're downstairs" she thought aloud.

Popping her head out she heard no noise in the hall and was glad for it. She snuck downstairs and began to look through the tables, the couches but no luck. She was on all fours when the door slammed open. Tensing slightly she heard two male voices chatting.

"So gonna hang out with Bella again" a voice said.

"Shut up. I'm just going over there so dad can hang out with Charlie" another replied embarrassment clear in his tone.

"Riiiiiiiight" the other teased.

As the voices carried to the kitchen, Tess figured it was best if she just hid upstairs until Leah came. She was about to get up, until she saw her glasses under the couch. For a brief second she wondered how the hell they got there, but knowing there wasn't much time, she found herself sliding her hand under and hoping she could reach them.

"I'm telling you Seth you're really getting on my ner-"

Jacob was pretty sure that that person wasn't someone he knew. While he wasn't an expert on Leah, she didn't have the same….configurations. For one thing her hair was a lot longer, and wet. Secondly Leah would demand they help her if she needed something. And thirdly…well, the certain body part facing them was definitely not the same shape as Leah's. Not that he noticed! Turning over to Seth he noticed that he too was on the same boat and was confused.

"Um…who are you?" Seth said warily.

A squeak, bump, followed by a groan were their only response. The young girl sat up and turned so she could face them. The first thing Jacob noticed was her face; her eyes were almond shape and very doe-eyed, showing her own surprise. Her hair that was once cleaning the floor now fell down to her chest and waved nicely. Her lips were parted as if she was wondering what to say too; they were full and now she was biting them. Her tick, obviously. His gaze then fell to her attire; Leah's old high school sweater and a pair of pajama pants. Definitely slept over.

"Do you know when Leah's coming?" she asked suddenly as she slipped on her glasses.

 _'So that's what she was looking for,'_ Jake thought.

"She was at the store, you slept over?"

"Hmm well she drove me here after our shift. I'm Tess by the way, Tess Hardy" she said smiling shyly at Seth. "You're her baby brother right?"

It was Seth's turn to blush and nodded taking her hand and helping her up. He wasn't used to really talking to girls, especially none of Leah's friends.

"I didn't know Leah had friends" Jake joked.

Her eyes turned to face him, a small frown on her face. It was her turn to take him in. The first thing she noticed was the hair; it was very long and straight. While lovely, it did very little for him, but his eyes made up for it. They were a dark shade of brown/black mix and very deep. His smile made him seem boyish and she almost smiled had it not been for that jibe against Leah. He was taller than her, but that wasn't saying much. The loose blue sweater he wore showed that perhaps he was getting taller, but nothing more.

"Leah is very particular when it comes to _friend_ s. I guess you didn't make the cut" she snapped back.

He laughed and shook his head as Seth did the same. She was definitely something. He noticed she winced slightly and rubbed her temples.

"I'm Jake by the way. Are you okay?"

"Nice to meet you," she replied rubbing her temples, "I'm just really hungove-"

"Don't talk to them" Leah interrupted as he opened the door.

Tess grinned as she smelled something fried and most importantly figured that the aspirin was in that paper bag. Walking over to her best friend, the older girl merely handed her two pills and pushed her out the door.

"Don't talk to her she's my friend" she warned the boys before she was out the door with Tess.

Tess waved briefly before she was shoved into the truck and was given a grilled sandwich. The boys watched as the girls laughed about something and drove off.

"So…Tess huh?" Seth said.

"She's odd"

"She's Leah's friend…"

"Makes sense."

Both boys laughed and began to pick out what video games they would play. What none of them knew, was that this meeting make the wheel start turning. Because even if there was no belief in fate, fate would do it's job and make everything happen. The strings were tied and now, now the story truly began.


	3. A New Love, A New Fight

**_Author's Note:_** _Hey! So I want to say thank you for the reviews and the follows. This chapter will run from October – December in the Twilight timeline. I'm sorry if it seems I'm rushing it, but I want to get out of the whole "zombie Bella" state that nothing was written about and get into the "new year". Please review!_

 _" Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean" – Maya Angelou_

 _"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone gives you courage" – Lao Tzu_

 ** _Chapter 3: A New Love, A New Fight_**

Four months in Forks and Tess realized that this was becoming her home. Her days consisted of school, work, and running around in Leah's car. She was definitely not going to complain about this routine; she felt like she had always been there. It was weird to feel this way; her friends from Los Angeles were slowly fading in her memory as she built a move solid relationship with Leah. Leah was her only friend; she had people in high school that had been potential friends, but they used her for popularity. As she became less shiny in their eyes they slowly stopped paying attention to her. She was fine with it; she supposed, though it did sting and hurt her ego. Despite the embarrassment she refused to eat in the bathrooms like the cheap high school rom-coms, instead she sat at an empty round table with her back against the wall. Every lunch she spent working on her homework from the previous period so she couldn't have to worry about them, instead work properly at the restaurant. That was the highlight of her days, as sad as it was. It was a time where she not only earned money and talking to the townspeople, but she caught up with Leah.

Ever since the heartbreak Leah acted differently. The pain had morphed into something ugly and angry. At first, Leah had lashed out against her, her comments were passive aggressive, and then, _then_ , she got cruel.

 ** _Flashback…_**

 _It was eleven at night and Tess was wiping the tables down while Leah was in her corner on the other side of the restaurant. This was their routine; Tess cleaned up and letting her friend collect herself before they chatted. It was something normal for the two, especially since Sam broke up with her. Apparently Sam and Emily had gotten together and Leah…she was definitely bitter about it all. Finishing the last table she threw the clothe over her shoulder and walked over to Leah. Sitting down carefully, she felt as if she was walking into a cage with a predator._

 _"Lee you ready to go home?" she asked softly._

 _"Are you here?" Leah scoffed._

 _Tess had to admit she was taken aback by the comment but said nothing. She tried to brush it off as best she could. She kept repeating to herself not to take it personal. Instead she sat down and waited patiently for Leah to be ready to talk. This was what usually happened, she wouldn't push her friend. Staring at the older girl she really studied her. Leah had lost weight; her skin looked more sallow and she looked more exhausted than ever. She rarely ate; Tess noticed because their lunch-break dates were less frequent. She was slowly losing her friend. Leah lifted her gaze and stared her down as if wanting to scare her away._

 _"Don't you have anyone else to pester?!" before Tess could even reply she kept going "Oh right….you have no one else. No one even likes you."_

 _Leah had gone in for the attack and she knew that would hurt Tess more than anything. It had been clear before that Tess was a lonely girl; she was always free and always ready to be there for Leah. Her stories of school consisted about what she learned, homework, but not a single person._

 _But hearing her comment made Tess' eyes water but she said nothing. Sadly this was also a routine. Tess tended to just wait her out her rants. Lowering her gaze she expected the silence to loom over them until Leah cooled off. But something inside Tess told her that this had gone too far. The idea of her bothering Leah had never sunk in until this very moment. She prided herself in making Leah smile; even a smirk was enough to know she'd be okay for a while. But, to not be wanted? That hit too close to her insecurities and Tess knew she needed to get out of there. Tears began to fall down her cheeks and she was horrified with herself. She prided herself on being strong but what person could take this? Getting up she didn't dare look at Leah instead she decided that leaving her alone was the best option. She wasn't sure if she would be coming back, at least not for anything that wasn't work._

 _As Leah heard the footsteps, she lifted her head and stared at the younger girl walking away._

 _"Where are you going?" she asked confused._

 _"Doing what you asked Lee," Tess murmured as she picked up her things and holding them close. That was when Leah noticed that the younger girl was actually crying. Something in her twisted, wasn't this supposed to feel good? Because it didn't; it gave her a bad taste in her mouth. As Tess lifted her hand to wipe her cheeks she didn't even look her way._

 _"You're actually leaving?" Leah said even softer._

 _"I'd rather be alone than be with your bitter self. Good job…now I know why Sam left!"_

 _Slamming the door behind her, Tess knew she crossed the line, but she'd had enough. Throwing her things in her car she wiped her tears and tried to calm her nerves. If this is what Leah wanted for so long, this is what she would do. Turning her car in drive, she immediately gunned it for home._

 _"So much for friendship"_

 ** _End Flashback_**

Ever since that day they hadn't talked: one week. Tess kept to herself at work; she didn't look at Leah's way, she didn't help her clean the tables like before. She was on her own and that's how it should have been since the beginning. For her part Leah acted as if Tess had done her wrong and didn't even try to talk to her. Both girls radiated anger, and no one dared to approach it. Now work seemed like a dreaded chore and Tess considered quitting.

The bell rang shaking her out of her stupor. Grabbing her things she wondered what she missed. Everyone began to chat and she lowered her head and rushed off to her least favorite period: lunch. Lunchtime always reminded her of how lonely she was. As much as she said she didn't care, it was beginning to weigh heavier on her without anything to look forward to. She was pathetic and she knew it. Walking over to the lunch line she grabbed the food of the day and went to the most dreaded part: looking for a table. She didn't want to have to sit with other people. If she was honest, her biggest fear was for them to leave as soon as she sat down like those movies. She was not going to risk it. Instead, she looked for an empty table to take over.

Walking over she signed in relief as she noticed that the round table in the corner was empty again. Sitting down, she put her things on the table to take over the rest of the empty space and relaxed. As she began to eat, she felt someone staring at her; looking up she noticed that the person was much closer than she expected: right in front of her. Bella Swan. Sitting up straight, she waited for the older girl to speak. The eighteen year old had been acting odd recently, more so than usual. Apparently the last remaining Cullen siblings had moved from Forks and the girl had been left devastated. Tess didn't care; she never made friends with those people and she wasn't going to start now. But the rumors spread quickly around Forks. When Leah and her were in good terms, she'd heard of how some of the people had helped look for Bella. She'd gone missing and Sam had been the one to find her. Stupid. That had happened three weeks ago.

Staring up at the girl she noticed how she too looked distraught. So her boyfriend left, so what? There was so much to do at eighteen; Tess certainly couldn't wait. She looked like some zombie just like Leah had been at first. Pathetic. The black hair that was always beautiful looked lifeless as it ran down her back and her skin paler than ever. Her eyes had lost a spark and she pitied her.

"You're sitting on my table" Bella said softly.

Leaning against the wall she raised her brow.

"I don't see your name on it" Tess simply replied. "Plus I'm not moving"

Standing there awkwardly, it was clear that Bella expected the younger girl to simply move. Before she could reply her friends called her over and with some hesitation walked over to that girl…Jessica. Yes that was her name. Tess went back to the questionable lunch that is until she heard laughter.

"You are really something aren't you?"

Looking to her left, she noticed a young boy talking to her. Her first thought was that he was odd. His eyes were green and his hair was messy. He had a pair of black square glasses to hide behind, but his quirkiness was charming to her. The new kid; whatever his name was, she knew he was here with the Todd family. Since the town was so small, she knew he was the child of the previous marriage. He'd been here for two weeks.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Ben" he said and sat himself beside her and pushed her things away to make more room. "My name is Benjamin by the way and yeah, you can help me. Have lunch with me"

It wasn't a question but rather a demand. She knew she should have been mad at how he just made a spot for himself beside her but she didn't. Instead she was impressed but still said nothing. She was not going to get up she was here first. Looking away she kept eating and ignoring his presence. Silence loomed over the pair as she looked down at her plate.

"You're going to keep staring at me aren't you?" she asked not bothering to look at him.

"Yeah…I like you" Ben said grinning.

Her cheeks reddened at his statement. She should have ignored it; that is until she looked over at him. He didn't look at her in any malicious instead with interest. This was odd; she wasn't sure she liked it. But a part of her screamed loneliness and she found herself wanting to be wanted. Sure she wasn't interested in him, at least not yet, but he looked harmless. Unsure of what was going on she did the only thing that seemed natural: she shoved him. He was surprised at first and then laughed instead nudged her back softly, much softer than she had.

"See, this is why I like you" Ben admitted.

"Shut up" she said annoyed and embarrassed.

"What's your name?"

She was annoyed at how he simply ignored her comment.

"You like me but you don't know my name?" she asked amused.

He had the decency to look embarrassed and instead he simply shrugged. He was adorable; damn it. Leaning forward he tilted his head studying her. His glasses slumped forward and he pushed them back up.

"I can think you're likeable without knowing your name can't I? I mean we share four of the six classes together."

"Tess" was all she said moving her own glasses higher to her face.

He grinned at her as if she had let him win the battle: she had. Something about him seemed more charming than she cared to admit. Sighing, she looked like it pained her to give him a sincere smile.

"I don't like you" bluntness was her defense mechanism.

"Not _yet_ " he said confidently. "But you will... I'll make sure of it"

"You shouldn't waste your time on me you know. There are better looking girls than me. Plus, you're a senior, you definitely have better things to do than be around me."

Tess hadn't meant to be as honest as she had become, but it was what she genuinely thought. He was a senior, and a cool one at that; he took advantage of the spotlight to become a charming popular kid. He was nerdy, but it worked for him. New York had become more exotic than Los Angeles to these kids.

"You really don't want me to like you do you?"

"You're just wasting your time," she murmured.

Tilting his head, he merely studied her for a second. As he opened his mouth he was interrupted by the school bell, signaling lunch was over. Grabbing her things, she didn't dare look at him. But as she got up he was already beside her with his own things. Calculus was next for the pair and he wasn't going to let this go.

"What will I have to do to get you to go to lunch with me?" he said curiously as they shuffled through the crowed.

"We just had lunch" was her only response.

"I mean you and me, and we chat about the weather, our likes, our dislikes. All of that stuff and I spend money on you."

" _That_ sounds like a date"

That's when Ben smiled and opened the door to their calculus class. Ushering her in he sat right beside her and murmured.

"If you want to call it that, then let's," he grinned cheekily.

 _'Damn him'_ Tess thought as her cheeks reddened further.

"I-I work after school so I can't"

"Where do you work?" he asked suddenly.

"Ben…"

"Come on" he nudged her.

"The lodge" she admitted, "I work till closing today so…"

"So I know where I'm having dinner today"

That was the end of the conversation as class began. Mr. Varner began to talk about area under a curve and she found herself forgetting about everything that just happened. Calculus was hard enough without having distractions.

 **…**

 _Four Weeks Later…_

Leah and her weren't speaking still and still they were giving each other the cold shoulder. Now they each had their own tip jar and she was not about to start sharing a damn thing. The customers said nothing, but neither of them could make a smile seem sincere. The only highlight of her work was the boy that would not leave her alone. Benjamin had actually shown up at her work as he had promised and made sure she was the one to wait on his table. He looked so proud of himself for surprising her. He was definitely determined and she in turn was flattered. From then on it continued ever day she worked and it bothered her less than she cared to admit.

"The usual Ben?" she asked as he looked up at her.

"Are you almost on break?" he asked.

"Hm…after I finish waiting your table," she admitted.

Ever since, he showed up every day around the same time she found herself warming up to him. He was sweet and funny, and best of all he wasn't pushing her. He made it clear that he wanted to date her, but most importantly, make her understood she was worth the time. It was weird, no matter how many times she said she wasn't interested in him, he didn't give up. He never pushed, just talked knowing that despite her indifference she always listneed. She didn't ignore him anymore and she had now gotten used to sitting with him during her breaks. If Leah wasn't going to talk to her he would make sure she wouldn't feel lonely.

"Well then yes the usual and get yourself what you want. We're getting this date today, even if it's 45 minutes"

Tess grinned and rushed off for the orders before she removed her apron. She ignored the glare that Leah was giving at her. It seemed that Leah was surprised she had a backbone and wasn't going to apologize. Instead she slid in the booth across from Ben and they chatted.

"Date you said?" she teased.

Ben grinned knowing he was winning her over. She was a tough cookie but she was worth it. She'd been warming up to him and making jokes and laughing at his. He really did like her and if no one noticed how special he was then he'd make sure to let her know that he saw her this way.

"I've been waiting for this date of ours"

"But we've been eating together" she said confused.

"Hmm…true, but this time around you _want_ me around."

That made her blush and she shrugged. It was true; she looked forward to him. While she wasn't sure this was love, she did feel butterflies in her stomach. Her cynicism for love had been clear on the first day, but he wasn't bothered. He didn't really believe it. And he was right; underneath her snark was a yearning to try and feel it.

"I have for about a week," she murmured.

Ben didn't rub it in her face, instead grabbed her hand and squeezed lightly. She found herself squeezing back. She did like him. This was moving forward at her speed. She said "yes" and "no's" and he followed. That made her believe he truly liked her. Leaning forward she found herself wanting to kiss him; that is until someone cleared his or her throat. Both turning to look at the person it turned out to be the chef bringing their food. He looked amused at embarrassing both kids and merely placed the plates before leaving. Both laughed off the nervousness and ate in silence.

"So…you still haven't forgiven her?" he asked suddenly.

Looking up in surprise she shook her head. She had told Ben the story, having no one to talk to. She had admitted how it had stung her: no one wanting her around. And he merely hugged her and told her that Leah was hurting. He knew it all and he didn't judge instead just listened. She liked having his attention. It made her feel like she was important.

"Should I?" she asked sincerely as she bit her fry.

"It depends" he shrugged, "do you think that you have anything to apologize for?"

She made a noise that told him the answer. The way she avoided eye contact and looked a bit put out told Ben that she was embarrassed. She felt guilty; but her pride was stopping her from saying anything.

"Well…" she began.

"Do you think she'll apologize?"

"She has to" Tess said annoyed.

"Well…." He began as he stole a fry from her plate, "do you think she'll make the first move? I mean…is it worth waiting for her to apologize?"

"She hurt me first" she whined.

"Yeah…but you hurt her _last_ " he emphasized, "both of you hit below the belt and you know better than that."

"I do…but she…you know what she said and I was merely trying to help. I was tired of her crap"

He nodded and squeezed her hand. He wasn't trying to seem like he wasn't on her side and she knew. He understood her so well.

"Is the cold shoulder worth the wait? I mean you both look kind of miserable. And as much as you _love_ me being around" that earned him an eye roll, "I can't make up what Leah is to you. Am I right?"

She sighed.

"I hate when you talk sense to me you know"

He merely grinned and kissed her hand earning a smile from her. After that their conversation changed into something more lighthearted. They chatted about school, people they hated, the gossip around the city and more about them. She found herself laughing, blushing, swatting and caring for him. He was a person she needed and she found herself happier. Looking up at the clock she noticed that the forty-five minutes were up and she was supposed to go back to work. Both were thankfully finished with their meals and he paid. Their routine continued as she would walk him outside and they would say their goodbyes. Today was different though both could feel that.

"Thank you for dinner" she said smiling.

Ben grinned back at her and stepped closer to her personal space.

"Thank you for wanting me around" he teased.

Tess laughed and placed her hands on his chest pulling him closer. He let her; and placed his hands around her waist and held her close. Looking up at the taller boy she parted her lips giving him the signal. Leaning down, Ben found himself filled with excitement at the thought that _finally_ she was admitting that there was something there. He stopped mere millimeters from her and Tess opened her eyes in confusion. Why wasn't he kissing her?

"Don't want to pressure you," he murmured, hot air brushing her lips.

Laughing softly she leaned up and kissed him. Her hands gripped his shirt and he pulled her closer. The kiss was soft at first, but warm and full of feeling. Her cheeks flushed at how aggressive she had been and he didn't look bothered for a second. Pulling back he kissed her cheek as she looked away.

"Does that mean I can call you my girlfriend?" he whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"Hm…don't you have to ask first?" she teased.

Ben grinned and pulled her closer.

"Tess Marie, would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

"Thought you'd never ask" she whispered before they kissed softly again.

Hearing someone calling her name she knew that her break was definitely over. Hugging him softly she pulled back and headed towards the restaurant.

"Remember!" he called out. She turned around in confusion, "make sure to talk to her. It'll do you both good"

Nodding she rushed back in the restaurant ignoring the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She never wanted to make herself think something was too good to be true. When things were looking up is when they crumbled the easiest. Perhaps not the peppiest of mantras, but it was just who she was.

The night went on and she found herself mentally preparing herself for the night when she would find herself apologizing to Leah. Every minute that ticked made her more anxious. What if Leah didn't want to become friends? What if this was what they were meant to be?

 _'She looks too lonely to be happy about this'_ a voice that sounded just like Ben rambled in her mind. And her imaginary Ben was right; she did look sad. Taking a deep breath, she waved goodbye to the last customer and began to wipe down the tables as Leah took the last bit of dishes. She worked as efficient as she could and she found herself wanting to finish and get this over with. If she was going to embarrass herself, she figured it was best if she just did it now. Clearing her throat she sought out to get Leah's attention.

On the nick of time Leah came out grabbing her things ready to get out. She didn't even look at Tess even if she was being obvious about wanting to get her attention. As Leah walked closer to the door, she found herself losing her nerve, but without thinking she blurted out.

"I'm sorry Leah"

Leah froze as if she'd been surprised at Tess' comment, and Tess found herself doing the same. She had never felt so tiny, especially as Leah stared at her incredulously. There was no anger in her expression, just confusion. It looked as if she was surprised that this was happening and couldn't fathom why it was even happening. This was her time to really express herself.

"I-I'm so sorry I crossed the line Leah" she began as eloquently as she could. "I know I had no right to say what I did but I said it when I was hurting and angry. You just- you make me so angry sometimes! It's as if you think every good dead means pity. And Leah you were my only friend since I moved here, and I treated you just the same. Hell, I got really drunk when you wanted to just relax. I stayed up with you wanted to and never did I get a thank you?" Her eyes widened at how rude it sounded, "Not that I expect it. But some appreciation is nice and-"

"I'm sorry too," Leah whispered, thankfully interrupting Tess' rant. "You're not a pest, you've somehow become my best friend…my only friend." She ran her fingers through her hair annoyed, "Emily really hurt me and I wanted someone to hurt just as much as I did. I-I thought you didn't need me anymore, especially with that dweeb that's always here."

Tess laughed and moved towards her arms wide enough to hug her. Leah rolled her eyes and walked forward holding her in a seemingly reluctant heart.

"By the way" she said as they hugged, "that dweeb is my boyfriend so try to like him. He likes you, he told me to apologize even"

Leah laughed and nodded.

"I'll try" she replied, "By the way, are you doing anything next week?"

Tess thought about it and realized that it was close to her birthday. "Well, my birthday is that Saturday so-"

"Oh? Good, see I was wondering if you would come with me to this bonfire thing at the beach. We can celebrate your birthday with the boys. I mean…if you don't have plans already"

Tess shook her head.

"Thomas and I are celebrating Sunday since he has work on Saturday and Ben…well he hasn't said anything so yes. I'll be your date."

Leah grinned.

"Good, you can protect me from people I hate"

Tess laughed softly and hooked arms with her.

"You so owe me for doing this."

"I hate to say this but I missed you" Leah admitted.

"Shut up, I don't like sentimental you."

Both girls laughed and glad that things were solved. As both girls drove to their respective snow through the snowy roads, both thought of how great it was to have it be back to normal. What was clear was that this would make them stronger. While neither believe in fate, they didn't know just how intertwined their futures were, especially for the sake of their happiness.


	4. Secrets

**Author's Note:** _Happy New Year! I am very sorry that I never updated this, but it seems I lost direction for a bit. I'm trying to get back on it as best I can. It's just some filler chapters sadly before we can get to the meatiness that is this story. Let's see how quickly get it going._

 ** _Chapter 4:_** _Secrets_

The room was dark; even though it was early in the morning, it was clear that no light would come in this morning. The curtains there black, shielding any light that tried to enter. The room was painted a sea blue, and there was clothes thrown on one computer chair that was used for that one purpose; at the center of the chaos stood a bed, with a particularly deep sleeper. Today she would be turning sixteen and she had no need to start the day yet. Her hair was disheveled and probably tangled, her head cheek was pressed against the pillow and her arm held the pillow close. Her legs were in a number four formation and three blankets made her look like a lumpy potato.

"Happy Birthday!" Thomas said loudly as he opened the door wide.

As the door slammed against the wall, the only thing that was heard was a groan. Tess wasn't particularly excited about being woken up this way, but she had little choice in the matter. Lifting her head slightly, she winced as she saw a blurry figure that she realized was probably her brother holding something that looked like a cake.

"Is this necessary?" she rasped out.

"Yes! I got into work today and I don't want you to think that I forgot about your birthday. Now blow out the candle"

All that came out of Tess' mouth was a whine. Still as he moved the cake closer she blew out the candles. Thomas leaned down and kissed her forehead, earning him a tired smile from his baby sister.

"Leah is coming to pick you up in a bit, so try to be ready. Also, can I have a piece of cake?"

"Get out" Tess grumbled.

"That's all I needed to hear. Thanks!"

As the door closed behind him, Tess let out a sigh and closed her eyes hoping he could get a few more minutes of sleep before preparing for the day.

…..

It sure was cold this morning, but thankfully it wasn't raining. As she slipped on her hat, she took a moment to take herself in. Sitting on her beauty stand she noticed her hair had gotten significantly longer since she first came in. _'I might need a haircut at this point'_ she mused. Her skin had gotten paler but she still looked at herself. She snorted at her own thoughts. There was one thing that stood out to her: she looked happy. Her eyes no longer looked so sad and she found herself happy knowing that she had found a purpose.

A honk brought her out of her stupor and she immediately rushed to her window to see Leah waiting. Tess grinned and signaled she was heading out before closing the window. She ran downstairs and slipped on a trench coat before closing the door behind her. While her introverted nature didn't exactly scream wanting to meet new people, the idea of hanging out with Leah was enough for her to agree to do it. Closing the door of the car, she grinned brightly at Leah who looked amused at her excitement.

"You alright there?" Leah smirked.

"Shut up, and wish me a happy birthday!"

"Happy Birthday…now put your seatbelt on, we have a long ride and you need a summary of who is who."

"Okay, I'm ready. So, who is who now?"

"So there's going to be Seth, my baby brother. He's kind of annoying but overall sweet. You can talk to him"

Tess grinned, "Got it, next?"

"He's always attached at the hip with Jacob Black. He was that kid at my home with my brother. He's whatever I guess. Most of his group of people are whatever if I'm honest."

"Okay? Is Sam-"

"Yeah" Leah muttered and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "With Emily, but I'm trying to move passed that. The only thing is that he's starting a gang or something. It's weird but a lot of the kids are joining him."

"He seems like bad news then, good. You don't deserve those kind of people in your life."

"Hmm…right"

"Come on, it'll be fun, I mean it has to be right? Who wouldn't want to just spend a chilly afternoon at the beach stuffing your face!"

Leah laughed. She soon began to talk about other members joining them. They typically would tell the stories of the tribe and more about how great the elders were. Tess smiled slightly wondering how jealous Tom would be when she would tell him about her day.

 **…**

The beach was beautiful, that was the first thing that Tess would say. It wasn't like the beaches in Los Angeles. For one thing it was empty; the beaches in Los Angeles were swamped with people and it was hard to find a free spot. Here it was quiet, it was on the reservation Leah told her and many people didn't necessarily arrive to the reservation and it was more private.

"It's gorgeous" she said softly.

"Oh yeah, and this is just the parking spot. Come on, food is probably cooking."

That was all that she needed to hear; locking the car behind them, they quickly rushed over to meet the others. It was at this moment that she felt her anxiety hit. Ever since the problems began with her family, Tess found herself being more and more anxious in social situations. Her introverted nature was a given, but it became worse when her parents began arguing. She felt someone rubbing her wrist and noticed Leah looking at her confused.

"You're going to be alright?" Leah asked.

Tess nodded and took a deep breath.

"Sorry, I'm just nervous I guess?"

"Hey, if you don't want to go we can go get food somewhere else, it's not a big deal" Leah frowned.

Tess shook her head at her suggestion. She didn't want her to miss something Leah clearly wanted to go to because of her anxiety. She could do this she knew she could.

"No I'll be fine, don't worry. They'll be waiting!"

It was an forced enthusiasm of sorts as she walked ahead hoping Leah could ignore the nervous vibes she was sending off. Leah caught up to her and took the lead. The closer they walked to the bonfire, the clearer the people showed. As they reached the shore she noticed Leah smiling at an older couple that she assumed would be her parents. Tess shyly walked over, too nervous to really keep away.

"This is Tess," Leah said in a soft tone.

Tess found herself surprised that Leah's tone had changed so quickly, yet the love of her parents was clear. The first thing she noticed about the older couple was that they were deeply in love. Sue and Harry were their names and they had a disposition that was friendly.

"Well welcome to our bonfire Tess" Harry grinned brightly before taking her smaller hand in his. "Leah treating you alright?"

She laughed softly at Leah's embarrassed expression.

"She treats me fine, she's been showing me around town since I first moved. She's a great mentor."

"That's great to hear" Sue spoke up looking proudly at her daughter.

"Mom don't" Leah said even more embarrassed.

"Seth is so lucky" Tess continued to talk teasing Leah even more. "But I'm very appreciative to be invited to something like this."

"Today is her birthday" Leah interrupted. "This little person is turning sixteen today"

Tess blushed at the short comment especially as Sue began to dote on her all the more. It was weird how the woman she had barely met tugged her away and began to show her the food options that she could have.

"Oh I wish Leah would have told me it was your birthday, I would have baked something" she frowned.

The two looked as Leah and Harry talked amongst themselves about something. She wasn't quite sure why she was pulled away, that is until Leah's mother began to talk.

"I wanted to pull you aside to thank you" Sue began, "Ever since the whole thing with Sam ended she's been very sad. You know Leah's a good kid, but it did break her heart. She told me you've been with her through it and you're a good friend."

"It's my pleasure Mrs. Clearwater" Tess replied somewhat embarrassed. "Leah didn't deserve what happened and I can only hope she can find someone better than Sam" she frowned. "He won't be here will he?"

"Well he is here, he's with Emily and she's family. We are _all_ family" Sue said, "it's not Sam's fault really I assure you."

Tess was taken aback by Sue's sympathy she felt for Sam. How could she say that? Shouldn't she be on her daughter's side? She decided to stop talking and instead nodded and walked back towards Leah. While walking back she found herself crashing into someone else. She huffed softly and got knocked back a bit.

"Oh sorry!" A voice said.

Looking up at the tall boy she realized she had seen him before. She tilted her head in confusion at first, that is until she remembered she was with Leah's brother. What was his name? Jacob.

"Oh sorry!" she repeated again and pulled back embarrassed to even be held by him. "It was my fault, I wasn't looking"

She noticed immediately that the boy wasn't alone. There was Bella Swann looking at her curiously, as if she didn't even belong there.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked quietly, no life in her voice.

"I-I got invited?" Tess replied somewhat taken aback by the comment.

"Tess!" Leah called her over "You're supposed to keep me from- oh. You brought her?"

Jacob looked put off by her comment.  
"I could say the same thing to you" Jacob replied.

"Hey!" Tess exclaimed.

"Tch, whatever. You and your girlfriend just stay away from my friend okay? Come on, the food is about to be served."

Tess nodded and looked briefly seeing Jacob fawning over an oblivious Bella. She rolled her eyes realizing just how typical this situation was. As they tucked in for their meals, Tess had to admit she felt like this was definitely her home. Billy Black was a charming old man who told jokes that always were a hit. His demeanor was always sweet and playful and she had grown to adore him all the more. Harry and Sue were kind and told stories about their youth that made their children squirm and Tess laugh loudly. Through all this controlled chaos she noticed that Bella didn't really connect with anyone. She looked off into space and it was only when Jacob made some kind of effort she would remember where she was.

Through this night she also noticed something that Leah had mentioned; Sam Uley had definitely changed. For one thing he had grown significantly from last time she saw him; he was buffer and he had cut his locks. He also stayed close to Emily. Emily; now there was a complicated case. The girl had tried to speak to her and she seemed sweet, but Tess could not push away her feeling for the girl. This girl had hurt Leah and had broken the happiness. She was polite but there was little warmth from her, making it clear to Emily that she had chosen a side. Leah didn't even look there way yet, as if they didn't exist and Tess wouldn't push her too. The two of them stuck together through the night.

It was until the night was filled with stars when Tess and Leah left the group. She said her goodbyes thanking everyone for everything. She even found herself making eye contact with Bella who looked lost as usual. Billy made her promise to visit them all again much to her amusement but she had quickly agreed. It was on the ride home that Leah pulled over a clearing and they hopped out.

This was a normal thing for them. They would park a car and climb on the roof leaning back and staring at the moon. The pair would talk about dreams of the future of love of everything. Leah would usually begrudgingly admit to wanting to find someone new, so long as the pain for Sam would stop. And Angel would just listen, never once mentioning her need or her curiosity towards love. This time things changed as Leah handed her a box.

"What is this?" she asked lifting the tiny box.

"Do you not give presents in California?" Leah teased.

"Shut up" Tess laughed and immediately opened the box. Inside it was a necklace, it was silver and had a crescent moon on it. She lifted it so the moonlight could shine on it and she smiled.

"You like me" Tess said in a sing song tone.

"You're my best friend and my sister" Leah said sincerely, "I might not be the easiest person to get along with, I get it, but I appreciate you not pushing me aside. I need a sister and you're it."

Tess smiled shyly and hugged her tightly. This girl was soon becoming her rock. Both dealt with different pains, and both needed the other to remind them to keep fighting. As she slipped the necklace on, a howling broke the silence. Both girls tensed and Leah immediately pushed the girl off the car.

"Come on, it's not safe. Get in the car."

Both rushed into the car and Leah immediately turned on the car and they drove off. Tess' curiosity grew more and would not stop staring out the window. It was only a few minutes later that large black animal popped briefly out. She jumped back and even Leah swerved the car in surprise.

"What was that?!" Leah exclaimed.

"It was huge!" Tess squeaked, "I think it was a bear except…the tail and…it was a wolf?"

"That big? I doubt it. Come on this is freaking me out. The faster I drop you off the faster I can head home."

"Want to stay over? The road doesn't seem safe"

"Sounds good"

Arriving to her home, both girls went upstairs and changed into pajamas. Both passed out quicker than they expected. Tess couldn't help but dream about wolves once more, it wasn't a nightmare but it wasn't exactly a happy dream. She couldn't help but feel dread in her dreams. Thankfully in the morning she wouldn't remember a thing.

 **….**

 _Two Months Later…_

Benjamin and her had become an item whether or not Tess realized. They had talked about a relationship, but it didn't feel as real as Valentine's Day. Both were nervous that much was obvious; she was a sophomore and him a senior but it was okay. He was respectful and didn't push her around for more. She appreciated it so much and she tried to show it as much as possible.

For example this very moment; she had her arms wrapped around his neck as he kissed her softly against his locker. It was one of those rom-com moments that she always dreamed of. He was so gentle and careful as he held her waist and she felt herself getting lost in those moments. She wasn't stupid, she knew that he had gotten experience, he was seventeen going on eighteen and he wasn't going to be exactly the most innocently person. Sometimes his kisses showed her that he was holding back. She didn't dare say a thing, but moments like this when her stomach began to have butterflies fluttering like crazy, it reminded her exactly how good he was. She hummed softly as his hands ran through her hair and she got more on her tippy toes to reach him better. It was one of those moment where she felt lightheaded and her cheeks were red and it was fantastic.

"Ahem"

They slowly parted from one another and she looked dazedly to who had made the noise only to see Bella and Jacob. Bella looked red in the face and Jacob looked taken aback. Tess turned red in embarrassment and leaned against Benjamin embarrassed over everything.

"I need to get my things from my locker so if you can just…"

"Sorry about that man" Benjamin said amused, "but you know how it is. I mean you and your boyfriend obviously…"

He trailed off at the awkward face Bella made and Jacob's face becoming red. Tess swatted him slightly and tugged him away from it all. Her embarrassment was becoming even worse as Ben made things awkward.

"Sorry about that, bye!" she called out before walking ahead forcing Benjamin to catch up.

"Is he not her-"

"Nope, she's still pining over Edward"

"Seriously?"

"I don't know, that's what rumors are saying. I don't care, just take me to work."

"Whatever the Madame wants, but I do get to pick you up so we can spend Valentine's Day together right?"

"Yep! But I'll be late if you don't hurry!"

"Let's go!"

Laughing was the last thing that Jacob saw as the tall boy was pulling Tess into the car with another kiss. Maybe Bella and him could be like that soon, after all it was Valentine's Day.

"So…"

 **…..**

Things were becoming weird in La Push. For one thing Leah had told her that people were beginning to join Sam's gang. They had called themselves protectors, but to her they looked like overgrown bullies. Tess didn't ask, instead she had asked to take her car out to La Push to bring meals to Harry. In some weird twist, Sue and Harry had become more like parents in Tess' life. Sue would always ask if she needed help with anything, especially with boys (much to Tess' mortification), and she would always answer honestly. Harry would joke and yell at football games and Tess would simply sit there wondering what was what. Thomas had even found himself coming in the household. He was never much into games, but Harry and him immediately hit it off talking about the history of their tribe and more importantly talking about sports. Thomas soaked all the information like a sponge.

Tess knew that this was more for Thomas to look at Leah from afar. It had seemed like his crush had by no means dissipated. It was cute, that much Tess could say. Leah was oblivious; she didn't push him away but didn't give him any chances. She only tolerated him because it meant that Tess would stay longer and they could talk about her moving on from Sam. It was a weird thing; the pain of Sam and Leah's breakup was clearly still raw for her and Tess realized with even more disappointment Sam didn't have any of it. From the few times she saw him on the reservation he looked reserved with his gang of people. That is until she saw him with Emily. It was odd the way they worked together so well, so much more than how it had been with Leah. It had stung to see how obviously better the two worked and she tried to shield Leah as much as possible.

Her musings were pushed aside as she arrived to the reservation. As she parked her car by their house she popped out with a tray of foods. All were pretty healthy and she knew that Sue would appreciate her helpfulness. Leah didn't really enjoy cooking much, and wasn't much of a homemaker. Tess liked spending time in the kitchen and she was happy to give Sue some recipes that her health conscious mother would force-feed them.

"Sue?"

"Come in darling, I'm in the kitchen!"

That was all that Tess needed to hear before she entered the home. It just smelled like it too. She could smell the chicken being cooked and she walked in like it belonged to her to hand Sue the healthy alternatives she made for Harry. His heart was weak that much was clear from Sue's worries.

"Is his cholesterol lower?" was the first thing she asked.

"We're hoping so, I'm taking him to the doctor later" Sue began, "He's just so stubborn. I told him to stop frying fish but I know he's indulging somewhere else. Now I can only hope that he gets serious about this. I'm worried."

Tess placed a hand on Sue's. "Don't worry things will work themselves out."

She was in the midst of stirring a sauce Sue was doing when something caught her attention. From the window she could see the large gang that Sam had created. All of them wore very little clothes, and even then she could see that they looked so much bigger than last time. What the hell where they on? She couldn't believe that the sweet boys she had seen during the bonfire had become that. Especially Jacob, her eyes widened as she saw him. He had gotten considerably bigger and stronger. His hair had been cut short and he looked well…her cheeks turned red for staring too much, as if she would get caught.

Then the seen grew even juicier as Bella's truck popped towards the small home. It was obvious that they were having a heated discussion. As the boys left, Bella and Jacob were left alone. Tess' stirring stopped as the yelling began but only on Bella's side. Why was she crying? Why did Jacob seem so angry? It made very little sense. But as he simply looked away from Bella, and closed the door behind him, Tess knew that conversation was over.

As the older girl cried outside in the rain, it was enough for Tess to feel bad for her as well. The smell of the burning caught her attention and she soon began to stir again. She chastised herself for staring so much.

"Sue! I think it's done!"

"Coming love!"

As Sue and her began to chat over food, something caught their attention. As the boys were coming out of the home, something in Sue's expression changed. Looking down at Tess she pulled a tight smile.

"I don't mean to be rude lovely but you need to head home."

She was taken aback by the comment but something told her to listen. She wouldn't stay where she wasn't wanted, but more than that, she knew that Sue was the kind of person that had her best interest at heart.

"Did I do something?" she asked meekly.

Sue's face said enough but as she pulled her into the hug she knew it wasn't on her. It was probably Rez stuff that she couldn't understand because of her background. She nodded and closed her eyes as Sue kissed the top of her head.

"Tell Leah to be careful when driving back okay?"

Tess nodded and grabbed her things before leaving. She knew there was some kind of connection between those boys and Sue's behavior but she said nothing more. As she began to throw things in her car she had a feeling that someone was staring intently at her. The hairs at the back of her neck began to stand and she felt goosebumps began to form all over. Turning around slowly she gripped the door of her car and saw that…no one was there. She tilted her head in confusion. Must have been something she imagined. As she slid into her car and drove off, she failed to notice a pair of angry eyes following her path out of the Rez.


	5. The Look of Love

**Author's Note:** _Thank you for all the favorites and story follows! I do hope to get your feedback in any way possible, so for that I thank you!_

 ** _Chapter 5:_** _The Look of Love_

This was not exactly how she imagined the date would go, not that she was complaining. As the windows fogged up, and the backseat became less spacious, Tess knew things had escalated. She wasn't exactly used to this; sure she had kissed in cars and little things like that, but it had never been this intense. As his hands tugged his shirt over is head, she stared up at him and realized just how smooth that was. He leaned down and kissed her the way that tended to distract her. He was good at that. He managed to wipe all the logic from her brain. She gasped softly as he nipped her bottom lip and his hands went to slip her shirt up from her waist. How the hell did she manage to feel so hot when the car was off and she'd thrown her jacket on the front seat?

This was like those movies, Benjamin made everything feel like a rom-com. He told her the right words, made the right moves and most importantly made her less cynical about the world in general. She wasn't going to call this love, not by a long shot. Perhaps it was her hormones or perhaps it was growing into more, but what was sure was that she felt something for him. The word tended to evade her though. What was she saying? Her thoughts floated away as he moved her hands to his naked back as he went back to kiss her. Making out sure felt different when you were laying on your back. It was even really spacious and-

"Ow!" she cried out.

"You okay?" He breathed out heavily against her chest.

"I hit my head on the armrest" she replied meekly.

At first he was quiet, but soon enough it was clear to her that he was laughing at her clumsiness. She flushed even more than she had before, but decided to shut him up the best she could. His laughter soon stopped as she swatted the back of his head. Ben knew very well she was easily mortified in situations like this. But she was enthusiastic about learning, which Ben loved all the more. As he looked down he saw her hair fanned on the backseat, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glazed, she was beautiful and she didn't even notice.

The words began before he could control them. "I lov-"

His words didn't last long as she leaned up to continue their kissing. His admission was swallowed up by her aggression.

If she was honest with all of this, Tess wasn't ready to go there yet. She didn't want him to ruin everything by saying 'it'. She knew that if he said it she would be forced to lie and say it to, or worse, be honest and break his heart. Guilt was not a good friend to her. But most importantly, there was one thing she would not waver on; she had promised herself to only say those three words when she really meant it. She wanted to say it with no doubts in her head and her heart knowing clearly.

"Tess" He laughed softly trying to nudge her back a bit. "I wanted to say I-"

She felt her heart beat faster and knew this was soon going to end badly. Her only Plan B was to do what Leah told her would shut boys up. Rolling them over, with no grace whatsoever (the yelp he made said more than enough), she decided to pull her shirt over her head and throwing it over to the front seat. There she sat up in her bra. Where sheer mortification would usually come came nothing: it was finally clear what Leah was talking about. Ben looked gob smacked, as if his brain had short circuited.

"I um, I-"

"Shut up and don't ruin it," she murmured before leaning down and kissing him once more. Thankfully he listened and the two teens continued their secret rendezvous.

 **…..**

Ever since the afternoon with Bella, Jacob felt odd. He had felt bad pushing her friendship away, but his anger just wouldn't stop. He was frustrated over everything. He didn't want to become a shape-shifter, but he knew he had too. His only hope was the memory of the folklore of his people. He was a protector of them and he would do the job that was intended. Through all of this he had to reign in his anger at all times so he would not shift. The only limelight in all of this, he remembered one thing: he would find a made, the perfect person made for him and he knew for a fact it would be Bella. The first time she went out to look for him, he had been wondering if he would just know that it was her. But nothing soul changing happened. In fact, all he felt was anger and disappointment. He wanted to push her away, the primal part of him wanted to lash out. It was best to just step back.

He had ignored her crying and it hadn't been too hard, he figured his phasing had caused that to happen. It was only when they were going out to train that something had told him to stop and looked towards the Clearwater residence. As he walked forward towards the house he noticed a car he hadn't seen before. As he was going to approach the home, someone came out. His first thought was that she was short, and definitely not paying attention to her surroundings. Sue had kissed her head goodbye and she had seemed pleased. Familiar even. But as he really took a look at her something happened; something he had never experienced in her life. It was like his peripheral vision vanished, and all that was important was she. She was so unassuming, not gorgeous, but yet not forgettable either. Her short stature was made up for her light brown hair and her full lips that smiled in a bit of a smirk. But as she tensed, he knew that he needed to hide and fast. When she turned around, that's when everything shifted in his mind. Her eyes, so nervous and vulnerable never looked as beautiful as they did now. The way she bit her lip, the she looked alone, it all shifted his world. Gravity no longer kept him grounded, she did; she soon became the center of his world who twisted his world out of axis. And worst of all she didn't even know it. As she climbed into her car and drove off, Jacob felt his heart beating impossibly fast. His palms were sweating and his face was red. She was it, she was the one that his wolf wanted but he, didn't want her.

The rest of the evening he had spent the whole time ignoring those feelings to go seek her out. Instead he decided to keep the secret to himself. He wouldn't tell a soul, he could ignore his need and try again for Bella. He knew in his heart it had to only be her.

Tonight they were training and he couldn't help but be distracted, He was slow in his phasing yet thankfully no one had said a word. They ran through the woods scoping any leeches that could be in the woods hunting. Victoria could be anywhere and he knew he had to keep her safe.

 _'Well look who we have here!'_ Paul thought gleefully.

 _'What are you talking about Paul?'_ Embry asked confused.

 _'Looks like some lucky bastard is getting some action'_ Paul laughed.

Jacob rolled his eyes but something caught his attention. It was a feeling that he knew exactly who was in there. The car was unfamiliar, but the tug towards investigating made him think he knew whom it was. His vision was spectacularly better and as he grew closer, he realized who it was. Tess. His whole body began to shake and his teeth began to show in anger.

 _'Woah man what's going on?'_ Embry asked confused.

Jacob didn't answer, instead he began to rush towards the car much to the surprise of his pack.

' _Wait! Jake!'_

 _'Are you crazy?!'_

 _'Get back here!'_

He ignored everyone's thoughts and rushed to the car, this was not going to happen, especially not on his watch.

 **….**

This was nice; as her breath hitched as he kissed her neck, all thoughts about going back home before curfew flew out the window. This felt right, leaning down she kissed him once more. They both sat up a bit to try and have more room; Ben had his arms wrapped around her as he continued to kiss her neck. She had her eyes closed, humming softly. Something akin to dread suddenly came to her. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she found herself staring at something that had come out of a nightmare. As Ben continued his administrations, Tess' chest heaved in utter horror as a wolf was staring right into their care, his teeth bared towards them and anger in his eyes.

Her lips parted but no noise came from them. She wanted to scream, especially as the wolf huffed and fogged up the window all the more. This wasn't a typical wolf, it was as big as the one she called a bear the previous time. Her hands shakily moved up towards Ben that shook even more as she realized the wolf wouldn't take its eyes off of her.

"B-Ben" she stuttered out. "T-there's a w-wolf"

"They're everywhere baby, don't worry it's not a big deal. Just ignored it"

"But-" her words were interrupted as he went in for a kiss to shut her up. She didn't dare close her eyes nor even reciprocate. It was as if the wolf got even more upset at Benjamin touching her. Then it happened; a howl and a shove of the car.

It was then she screamed and Ben pulled away in surprise. Whatever size he imagined the wolf to be, it was clearly not as big as the one before them. Worst of all Tess saw more wolves slowly coming out of the woods. As the wolf was about to lunge again with more force, she pushed Ben off and tried to climb towards the driver's seat.

"We need to get out of here!" she screamed.

No matter how many times she tried to turn the wheel her hands couldn't stop shaking. It was her fifth time when she managed to turn the engine. As the lights lit the night road, the wolves grew in size if that was even possible. She honked the car hoping they would just move, but the large russet colored wolf would not move, in fact he seemed to want to charge.

"Fuck it" she hissed.

Shifting gears, she decided to turn it to reverse and simply drive back. The wolf then looked like it was about to start chasing the car. That is if not a bigger black wolf shoved him out of the way. As the squabble began within the wolf pack, she changed gears and rushed through the road towards town. She didn't even care of her lack of dress, the only thing she wanted to do was change and run home. Looking back briefly, it was clear that Ben wanted nothing more than that too.

 **…..**

The image of her in that damn pink bra being kissed by that boy made his blood boil. Didn't she get how wrong that was?! Another memory flashed of her pressed up against the locker rooms by the same boy. Clearly they were dating, but the kissing didn't bother him more than the fact that she didn't feel anything like the swimming thoughts he had. Again the vision of her in her bra appeared in his head. The way her hair had gotten ever curlier, her face red, her lips swollen and some lascivious grin on her face before he scared her.

' _Woah man, you interrupted that?'_ Paul said suddenly.

It was in that moment that he realized that his thoughts had floated towards the others He growled in anger, even more when Sam pressed his neck against the dirt once more. Dominance was clear in his actions. He had broken orders and scared the two teens.

 _'What got into you?!'_

 _'I don't want to talk about it'_ Jacob replied angrily.

The rest of the night consisted of him being pushed for answers as to why he interrupted the couple. Thankfully no one put the dots together and no one realized who the girl really was.

 **…**

 _Her eyes fluttered open and she as utterly alone. She lifted her head and realized she wasn't in her bedroom but in a field of flowers. All the flowers were different; she saw some nightshade surrounding the around the field. Near the center she saw her head resting on babies breath. She frowned sad at the thought she had killed them. It was then she looked down at herself. Despite the snow around her, the field was clear of any chill; she showed it by wearing a simply night gown, white. Getting up, her bare feet touched the grass. She decided to try and find her way home._

 _Walking down the hill she found herself coming to a field of bleeding heart flowers. All of them bright pink and taking over her path. She felt despair over seeing them all, she was so lost. Even though it had only been but a few minutes she felt eternally lost._

 _It was when she decided to give up that something popped up. It wasn't a person but a wolf a large wolf. Behind it the moon began to rise, high in the night. She began to tremble, thinking that this would be it. As it grew closer, his eyes bore into her soul and she found herself wondering what this all meant. At that moment the wolf laid it's head on her lap and sighed. It was a sigh of comfort of being home. Her hands slowly moved to his fur and as he let out a deep breath she knew it was safe. Slowly she caressed his forehead like she would a dog._

 _As he nudged her up, she understood that he wanted her to get on his back. As his body lowered itself to the ground and wait, she slowly straddled the wolf. It was as if she was on a horse, but as she gripped the thick fur of the wolf she knew it was secure. Before she had a chance to be ready it began to run. The field soon was left behind them as they ran towards the woods. She felt the cold wind on her face and the wolf howled pleased with their ride. She leaned down and hugged it tighter. This felt right._

 **…..**

She sat up with a gasp. Her skin had a thin layer of sweat and she immediately looked around the room for the wolf. The dream had been very realistic; she swore the smells of the flowers were still there if she only took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking and she felt as if it was adrenaline running through her body. She thought perhaps it was the wolf attack that had brought this on; still there was no fear in that dream, but rather peace. As if everything was fitting; that wolf was safe, it was good. She looked down at her hands on more time and she imagined the feel of the wolf fur once more.

"I'm crazy" she whispered softly.

As best she could she threw her clothes to the side and changed to a new pair of pajamas. Crawling back to bed she tried to get some sleep. Sleep would do her good, that's what she told herself.

 **…**

This night she was closing the restaurant by herself. The cook had left a while ago, and she was left alone. Leah had spent more and more time at the hospital with Sue and Harry. It seemed that no matter how much Sue tried, Harry's health wasn't improving. They had gone to a specialist in Seattle hoping there were other suggestions that they could do regarding his health. He was trying, but it was clear whatever Sue was doing wasn't enough. Leah had drive them all up and everyone understood. Often times they would talk over the phone, but it had been a week and they had yet to arrive. Since that time, she had wanted to tell Leah multiple times of the incident involving the wolves, but hearing the distressed tone of Leah's voice was enough to let that wait.

Benjamin on the other hand had been shaken by the event. He wasn't blaming her, but it was clear his nerves had been shot. He had tried to play it off but he was obviously scared. She didn't blame him she had been scared too. But with his college applications, fixing his car from the scratches, and putting everything together, it seemed they had some obstacles to meet up again. She didn't mind it, it was nice to let space happen. She didn't want to admit that she was avoiding him so he wouldn't bring up the conversation that she had tried to ignore. The 'love' word had circulated around them, but only on his side. She wasn't quite sure she loved the kid, but she knew this time would be good to think it over.

As she wiped the last few tables she wondered if it had been smart to just end it. She did feel guilty doing it, because he was a sweet guy and definitely someone she could stay with for a while. To lie to him seemed somehow worse. She wasn't going to just tell him about her heavy baggage about the 'L-word' but he had enough background to know she wasn't one to just open up to everyone. Perhaps this made her a horrible person.

Huffing, she threw the cloth to the side and placed her hands on her hip. Looking around everything seemed fine. Those thoughts about Benjamin could wait. This was the first weekend she had all to herself. Ben was off as was Leah, and Thomas had gone to a large conference. She knew that he was hoping to get a position in Seattle University as a history professor. That was a big upgrade than his current job. His dissertation was practically done and it would be perfect. All she wanted to do was just rest. Rest seemed like the best plan.

Locking the restaurant behind her, she threw her uniform in the car and took off. Ever since the incident, she had found herself scared to drive at night. The wolves would not leave her mind, and she wasn't going to go to the territory again. The only thing that scared her was the open road. Where it had once been peaceful now scared her. It was so empty, especially now that it was raining. The New Year had brought nothing but rain so far. Tess was admittedly a nervous driver to begin with, and with the rain and the incident she had gotten even more anxious. Her drive was a slow one, and longer than necessary because of this reason. But as she turned the curve, something began to hiccup in her car. She tried not to hydroplane, and tried to keep it steady, but as the burning smell came she knew there was no point: her engine had died on her. She had heard clicking from her car, but the engine light hadn't been on. Now she was stuck in one of those never ending road.

Tess leaned her head back on the seat and sighed. Why did things happen to her? Opening her backpack she searched for her cellphone. As she took it out she wondered if she could get her brother's information about the insurance, or maybe get a ride from…from who? Leah was gone. Thomas was gone. Ben was…. well she wanted to avoid him for now. Looking through her contact there was one name that stood out: Billy Black. She remembered the kind man and wondered if maybe he could help her out. Making the call she waited for him to answer, she knew it was late, but she couldn't help but at least try.

 _"Hello"_ That wasn't Billy.

"Hello? Is this Billy's number?" she asked.

 _"Yeah this is Billy Black's house, who's calling?"_

"This is Tess, um, I know it's late and he's probably sleeping, but he told me if I needed something to call him." God this was horrifying.

 _"This is Jake, do you need something? What's wrong?"_

She appreciated the worried tone in his voice, as if he cared. Still, she figured it was worth a try.

"I'm not sure but my car just shut down. I think the engine is messed up? I-I don't even know where I am to be honest, just on of those nameless roads. Leah's gone, and so is my brother. I-I'm so sorry for bother you" she could feel her face turning red in embarrassment. "You know what, I'll just message my boyfriend it's fi-"

 _"No! It's fine! Where you going home?"_

"Yeah, I almost made the turn but the incline was enough to fry my engine."

 _"I'm heading over. Don't move, and don't call anyone else, I got you."_

"Thank you Jake" her voice screamed relief.

 _"It's my pleasure, be there soon!"_

As the call clicked, Tess now had to play the waiting game. Jake. She remembered how angry he had seemed the week prior with Bella. He had changed dramatically from the first time she saw him at Leah's home. He had gotten….bigger and definitely different. Leah had told him that he had joined Sam's gang which was worrying, but as Sue spoke nothing but good of them she had to believe the older woman. She wondered why he went out of his way to get her. He didn't even know her that well. They had met twice and even then their conversation was very limited. He hadn't even really taken notice of her. She shrugged it off; maybe he was as compassionate as his father. Curling into her seat, she waited for him to arrive.

 **….**

Jake had no plans to leave his home. This was the one weekend that Sam had agreed to give him some space to think things over. Since his change, he'd found himself angry at everything and everyone in the world. He had revealed his truth to Bella that night. It didn't fix anything between them, not really, after all as he tried to take her all in, even all her beauty paled in comparison to the feelings he had for Tess. He had gotten close to her, near of point of intimidation, yet his wolf didn't sing from he presence. This had only angered him more.

It was when he got home that he heard the phone ring. He was going to ignore it seeing that it was late, but something changed his mind. But as he answered the phone, he knew why. Her voice showed she was clearly distressed. Something that made him worried, and as she was more into detail it was clear he needed to help. Her best friend was gone, her brother was too, and he wasn't going to even let her call her boyfriend. That word in itself made him immediately cut her off and accept to help her. Rushing to the truck it was a quick drive. The roads were so alone that he grew increasingly worried over the girl. What if those leeches got to her? What if she decided to be stubborn and not listen to him?!

This went through his head over the thirty-minute drive towards her. As he began the slow turn, that's when he saw the tiny car stuck on the road. He knew it was Tess the moment he rolled his window down. Her scent was enough for him to know that she was okay, a bit anxious but overall okay. Hopping out of the car he rushed over and knocked on the window. Slowly she rolled it down and that moment she saw him, the most beautiful thing happened: she smiled. It wasn't a small shy smile she'd seen before; it was a full-blown smile of relief at him being there.

"You're my hero Jake," she breathed out.

He felt himself blush at her comment, no matter how innocent it was. It seemed that her feelings of relief had calmed down the anger that had stayed within him since his transformation. She looked so innocent in her car. Her hair was down her shoulders, a large sweater and some leggings was all she was wearing and she hugged her only possession being her backpack. Her face was hidden behind those large framed glasses but somehow it made her all the more endearing.

"Do you think you can fix it?" she asked softly.

"Not today, I need the light to figure out what tools we might need" he admitted. "Come on, get into the truck and we can talk there"

Nodding she immediately opened the door and slipped on her backpack. It was when she got up and really looked up at him did they notice their size difference. He was so tall, much taller than their last meeting and he could easily engulf her if he wanted. He bit back a smile as her eyes widened as she looked at him. He knew he'd changed and he wasn't so scrawny, but seeing her be taken aback, had made him all the more vain.

Grabbing her hand out of pure instinct he quickly tugged her to his car, to avoid getting too much rainwater on them. As he opened the door and helped her up, he ran to his and slipped in as well. Turning over her saw her hair had lost it's volume and laid limply on her sides. She was shivering from the cold water; she wasn't used to it, it was clear from her expression. Taking off his jacket, he wrapped it around her frame. She looked up at him surprised.

"Won't you be cold?"

"Nah, I'm used to this. It takes a lot for me to be cold" he grinned.

She murmured a thank you and he turned on the car letting the heater warm up the car for her sake. While it was sort of uncomfortable for him, he was relieved to have her be safe. The silence was surprisingly a comforting one and as she really got herself together was it that she began to talk.

"Jake? Are we safe here?" she asked suddenly.

That got his attention. Turning over to face her he noticed just how nervous she was. The waves rolled off of her body and onto him. Placing his large hand over hers caught her attention.

"We're perfectly safe, why do you ask?"

"Well…you see a while ago I was around here and a large wolf attacked my boyfriend's car" she looked around paranoid. "It was aggressive and absolutely scared us"

"You know…wolves are the protectors here. If it came your way, it was for a reason" he said looking at her from the corner of his eye.

"What are you saying, that it was protecting me? By scaring me so badly?" her tone clearly showed his disbelief.

"Well, were you doing something you shouldn't have?" he blurted out.

Her only response was to turn bright red and shake her head. The image of her flashed behind his eyes once more and he forced himself to shake it off. This wasn't the time.

"They're protectors and wouldn't harm you" he said with determination. "Trust me, they're good"

She nodded wide-eyed. The silence loomed over them once more. As she stopped shivering, it was enough for him to try and drive once more.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, I mean I'm in no rush but, I wouldn't want to stay in these roads either"

As he turned on the engine he began his drive up to her house. He purposely drove slowly knowing that it would take a good while to get there in this weather. While the roads were dead, the forest was still alive.

"Thank you for coming for me Jake" she murmured softly, "I-I had no one else to call. Everyone is too busy with things."

"Hmm" he smiled, "What about your boyfriend? Why didn't you call him?"

She shuffled in her seat slightly and shrugged.

"It's not good for me to pile on my issues on you" she tried to joke it off.

He briefly looked her over before he set his eyes back on the road. This was a twist he wasn't expecting. The trouble in their paradise was actually great for him. Not that he wanted her of course. He shook his head at the thought. No, he wanted Bella, but he did care for this girl.

"Pile it on me" he chuckled.

"Well…that night…he and I were in the car. And well you know we were talking and he almost said those words I never want to hear."

"And those are?"

"I love you" she whispered.

He nearly swerved and as she cried out he muttered something about a deer. This was unexpected. So that kid, that scrawny kid actually had it bad for Tess? He gripped the steering wheel tighter realizing it. He began to feel hot all over. It was as if he was trying to take her away from him, this was unacceptable.

"And I just didn't want that to happen."

The tone in her voice is what calmed him down somewhat. Why didn't she want to hear it from her boyfriend? Didn't all girls want a love confession?

"I don't," she snorted. It was then he realized he had said the last thing aloud. "I think love just…makes things messy you know? People get hurt at the end and well…I don't love him."

The last phrase definitely kept his wolf at bay. So she didn't love that kid? Good. He wasn't sure what the feeling was, but the relief that came with it was great.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I just…I don't think I believe in love…at least not for me" she shrugged. "I think the idea is nice, but I can't see myself being blinded by an emotion like that. I like seeing happy couple together, like Harry and Sue. But I couldn't do that. I can't just trust someone like that so quickly to just sacrifice my life for them you know?"

"You just haven't met the right person," he said softly.

"What?" she tilted her head in confusion.

"I think that no one knows what love is until it's real. My dad said that he had thought he had been in love before, but when he met my mom, that's when he knew what it was. He said there was no regret in any action cause every sacrifice that was made was worth every second he spent with her. So...if Ben isn't what makes you feel that then he's not the one. Simple as that."

"Oh…have you ever been in love?" she asked curiously.

"I…I don't know, but I think so."

"Then you've never been in love" she laughed softly. "By your logic, the uncertainly basically means no, you haven't loved someone before."

Lifting one hand from the wheel he rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. "I guess you're right."

As the turned into the driveway of her house and turned off the car, neither made a movement to say bye. It seemed that the conversation hadn't ever been so natural between two people. While they didn't understand what it meant, the universe had made a decision. Both of them felt a connection they hadn't ever felt before.

For Tess this was the first time someone had made her feel so comfortable just talking. His voice, his presence, his being, simply made her feel safe. She barely knew him, but it felt like they fit and they'd known each other their whole lives. For Jake, he hated to admit that this was calming. He wasn't so angry anymore, something in her soothed the fresh raw emotions he was facing from his transformation.

As they both turned to look at one another and made eye contact, something stopped. The world stopped… all that existed were one another. Neither one could explain it, but something pulled them closer. Their eyes grew heavy as they both leaned closer to one another. They didn't know why, or how, but as they took in one another, their breathing quickened. As her lips parted he felt something in him want to go for it. He moved closer and before they could kiss, she opened her eyes and really took a look at him. She wanted to kiss him, desperately so, but the logic in her mind prevented her from it. As she moved her head and kissed his cheek she murmured.

"Thank you Jake," against his ear.

Before he could even fathom what had happened, she had stepped out of his truck and had entered her home. It was then that his brain caught up to everything and he covered his face in embarrassment. He didn't know what had compelled him to move so close to her like that. But the tightening of his stomach and her eyes had told him to go for it. He didn't understand what had happened. His heat would not stop beating so far and as for his palms…he had to rub them against his jeans to make them not be so sweaty anymore. He didn't know what this meant, but he needed to get out of there and fast.

As he backed up from the driveway, he saw her looking out her window. With one tiny wave he drove back home to the rez replaying that moment over and over again.


End file.
